How to Dial a Murder
- Episode aired Apr 5, 1978
- TV-PG
- 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
A behavioral psychologist whose wife died under suspicious circumstances trains his dogs to kill on command using a telephone.A behavioral psychologist whose wife died under suspicious circumstances trains his dogs to kill on command using a telephone.A behavioral psychologist whose wife died under suspicious circumstances trains his dogs to kill on command using a telephone.
Fred Jay Gordon
- Technician
- (as Fred J. Gordon)
Henry
- Columbo's Dog
- (uncredited)
Paul LeClair
- Audience Member
- (uncredited)
Richard Niehaus
- Audience Member
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOne of the many movie posters on display in Dr. Mason's house is for the thriller, The Suspect (1944), starring Charles Laughton. This is significant, as the structure of "The Suspect" prefigures the formula for "Columbo", presenting the viewer not only with a killer whose identity is known from the outset, but also a seemingly mild-mannered and polite police detective who befriends the killer and knowingly uses him as a sounding-board for his various theories about the crime. It is the close relationship between killer and detective thus formed that leads to the resolution of the story. It is not known if William Link and Richard Levinson, creators of "Columbo", ever saw this film.
- GoofsDr. Mason addresses Columbo as "Lieutenant" when they first see each other at the crime scene, even though they hadn't met yet. Then the detective introduces himself as Lieutenant Columbo.
However, the psychologist is seen exiting his own house where he can have asked a police officer who was in charge and where to find them.
- Quotes
Lt. Columbo: [trying to trigger the attack word for the dogs] Kill! Kiss! Diamonds! Rubies! Sneakers!
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Simpsons: Smoke on the Daughter (2008)
- SoundtracksThis Old Man
(uncredited)
Traditional English children's marching song
Whistled by Peter Falk
Featured review
Great premise, but an adventure in which you never really think that the murderer has got the upper hand over Columbo!
This was Falk's last but one outing as Columbo in the original series, which sees him pitted against a vengeful psychologist (played by Nicol Williamson) who murders his wife's lover by means of training his two dobermans to kill.
The motive for the murder is not particularly inventive as detective shows go, but this is positively enhanced by the means: two dobermans who respond to a word uttered by the victim in a telephone conversation with the murderer. A stylishly conceived element of the story.
The ingenuity of this premise, however, is not borne out in the rest of the episode: Columbo latches onto the murderer's scheme extremely quickly (even by Columbo standards) and it is not is not helped by the fact that he leaves a whole host of incriminating clues along the way. As Columbo remarks at the end "I must say sir, I found you disappointing....you left enough clues to sink a ship..."
Additionally, Kim Cattrall's characterisation is not particularly important to the overall scheme of things and her scenes drag the episode down a little.
Nicol Williamson's characterisation had the potential of being one of the best and most difficult-to-catch murderers in the entire series, but Williamson's initially energetic portrayal seems to recede as the script gives Columbo the balance of power.
If only the script-writer could have omitted one of two of the clues; nevertheless, for Columbo fans like myself it is still enjoyable viewing.
The motive for the murder is not particularly inventive as detective shows go, but this is positively enhanced by the means: two dobermans who respond to a word uttered by the victim in a telephone conversation with the murderer. A stylishly conceived element of the story.
The ingenuity of this premise, however, is not borne out in the rest of the episode: Columbo latches onto the murderer's scheme extremely quickly (even by Columbo standards) and it is not is not helped by the fact that he leaves a whole host of incriminating clues along the way. As Columbo remarks at the end "I must say sir, I found you disappointing....you left enough clues to sink a ship..."
Additionally, Kim Cattrall's characterisation is not particularly important to the overall scheme of things and her scenes drag the episode down a little.
Nicol Williamson's characterisation had the potential of being one of the best and most difficult-to-catch murderers in the entire series, but Williamson's initially energetic portrayal seems to recede as the script gives Columbo the balance of power.
If only the script-writer could have omitted one of two of the clues; nevertheless, for Columbo fans like myself it is still enjoyable viewing.
helpful•353
- The Welsh Raging Bull
- Sep 17, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mord per Telefon
- Filming locations
- Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA(N side, E of Elm St, Laramie Western Street as Callaghan Film Ranch, demolished)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 13 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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